


Hope

by winterwaters



Category: PIERCE Tamora - Works, Protector of the Small - Tamora Pierce, Tortall - Tamora Pierce
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-07
Updated: 2013-04-07
Packaged: 2017-12-07 17:36:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/751193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/winterwaters/pseuds/winterwaters
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Third Company visits New Hope, and both Kel and Dom find the settlement is aptly named.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Kel

**Author's Note:**

> First attempt at writing Kel/Dom! I just love these books so much, and now I have a place to let out all my thoughts, finally :)
> 
> This is Kel's POV. Dom's will be the next chapter.

Kel was sending Toby on his way to Yuki with instructions when she heard the hoofbeats, followed almost instantly by Jump's barking and a few cheers and greetings from the townspeople. 

Visitors!

Kel all but ran out of the practice yard towards the town entrance as Jump's barking got even more insistent. Getting closer, she saw the familiar blue and white of the tunics of the King's Own, and she could barely contain her glee herself. Almost four months had passed since she'd seen the men of the Own, so busy had they been back in Corus. Kel had missed all of them dearly, but especially Dom, for reasons she couldn't entirely identify herself (although she suspected Yuki had some ideas). 

She skidded to a stop behind the swarm of people that had gathered, watching her old friends greet the people she now considered her family. Looking around slowly for Dom, she found his mischievous blue eyes already on her. Kel blinked, surprised at being caught, then smiled sheepishly when he grinned at her. 

He started slowly but surely making his way through the crowd towards her, and her stomach fluttered nervously. She wanted to greet him as her friend, to hug him close and welcome him back, but how proper would that be? As he got closer, she noted the tiredness on his handsome face, and how he was favoring one arm. 

Dom stopped just a few feet in front of her, smiling warmly before bowing.

"Lady Knight, it has been too long." He looked up at her, his face close to hers, and Kel gave in. _To hell with it._

Kel threw her arms around his shoulders, standing on her tip-toes and pressing her face into his tunic. She meant to be brief, but suddenly his arms were holding her tightly and his face was buried in her shoulder, and nothing had felt this good or right in a long time. 

Her contented sigh turned into a yelp when her feet left the ground momentarily, and Dom's chest rumbled against hers as he laughed before putting her down. They let go of each other and Kel snuck a glance over his shoulder, seeing everyone was still caught up in greeting the riders. Well, everyone except Neal, who was watching her knowingly.

"Your hair's longer." Kel turned back to Dom as he touched her hair softly where it now fell past her shoulder. 

Kel shrugged. "Felt like a change." Then, because she couldn't read the look on Dom's face, "Not as long as some of your men's hair, though. All the barbers in Corus run away?"

He grinned. "They did once they saw them." Kel laughed and went to meet the rest of the group.

~~~~~~~~~~~

That night, Kel was feeding Hoshi in the stables after dinner when Dom found her. Instead of instantly joking with her, though, he seemed content to greet the other horses (he gave Peachblossom a wide berth) and wait quietly until she was done. He'd been like that as the day went on, too, falling into periods of deep thought when he thought she wasn't paying attention. She was determined to find out why.

They left the stables and sat at a bench off the main path, where fewer people were likely to mill about. 

Kel pulled her feet up and turned to Dom. "Out with it. What's going on?"

Dom sighed and linked his fingers together, opening his mouth and then closing it several times. Kel had to laugh a little. "I'm sorry! It's just, I don't think I've ever seen you like this."

Dom grinned sheepishly and let out a breath. "Lord Raoul spoke to me the other day, before we left. He and the king had been talking about what to do with the different companies of the Own, how to better spread them out so everyone could be of use. Instead of all of us stuck in Corus unnecessarily." He made a face so like Raoul's, Kel had to bite back another laugh. "Raoul doesn't want to hand us off after he's married, either. He would like Flyndan to take over the main duties, but he still wants to be involved. So he suggested that...maybe...Third Company could stay at New Hope for some time." 

Kel stared at him, unable to believe her ears.

Dom mistook her silence for hesitance and rushed on. "We would help out with the work, of course, and I know some of the men want to help with training the young ones who want to learn. Plus, we'd be here in case, well, in case anything comes this way." 

As he opened his mouth to continue, Kel put a hand on his shoulder, unable to keep her laughter from spilling out. He looked at her with uncertainty and more than a little hope in his eyes.

" _That_ is what you've been a wreck about all day?" Kel gave him the biggest smile she could muster. "How could you ever think I'd say no?" 

Now Dom was smiling too, and he reached up to take the hand on his shoulder in both of his, turning it over so her palm faced up. "I guess...I'm not sure. I just didn't want to get my hopes up is all." 

"Silly. You came to the wrong place for that, didn't you hear?" 

Dom chuckled at that. Then, quietly: "You're really okay with it, then?"

"I get to see you _every day_ ," Kel replied. Dom's mouth twitched in a small smile as she amended hastily, "All of you. I can't think of many things better than that." 

He nodded in agreement, then pulled her to her feet. "I'll walk you back to your room. Don't need Toby yelling to all of the town that I've kidnapped their lady knight."

Kel huffed. "As if you could." 

But she didn't let go of his hand all the way to her quarters.


	2. Dom

Dom nudged his horse on, gaining speed as he saw the banners for New Hope. He heard his men do the same and grinned. They'd been on the road for almost a day, but their spirits had been high, all of them eager to be away from the noise and politics of Corus. 

It had been a long few months, and several skirmishes at the border had done nothing to help his injured arm, which he now rested gingerly on his knee. It was still under orders to be wrapped and treated once a day.

Dom had been excited at the prospect of seeing New Hope again after so many months, but he was also filled a nervous, giddy anticipation by Lord Raoul's instructions. The older man had grinned knowingly at the look on Dom's face at the thought of staying in one place (with one particular young lady knight) for more than just a few days. Dom hoped she'd be alright with it. But he knew Kel had settled into a life here and didn't want to interrupt anything, either. 

Some of the townspeople saw the group of riders and waved, recognizing the blue and silver of Third Company. As they entered the settlement, Dom heard the familiar barking of Jump, as the little dog sped towards them. He laughed and dismounted, throwing the dog some small treats he'd kept ready. He and the others greeted the people of New Hope joyously, taking in how much had already been built. 

Then Dom searched the crowd, hoping to see Kel, and then... _there_. She came flying in from the yard, hair loose and in her practice tunics, smiling as she saw the riders. Her hazel eyes searched the group, finally landing on Dom. He smiled and began to push his way through the crowd towards her. 

She stood behind everyone, smiling back at him, waiting for him to reach her. He had the urge to wrap her in a hug, but sided with propriety for the moment.

"Lady Knight, it has been too long," he said, bowing to her slowly. He looked up at her face, so close to his for a moment, and saw some internal debate in her eyes before she flung her arms around him in a hug. Overcoming his momentary shock, he returned the hug as fiercely as he could, lifting her off the ground slightly and enjoying her squeal of surprise. He put her down gently and stepped back before he decided to do more than just hug her. 

Still, Dom couldn't help but reach out to touch her hair, now grown out past her shoulder. Kel looked at him curiously, and he shrugged. "Your hair's longer." 

She smiled softly. "Felt like a change." He kept looking at her, drinking her in. He couldn't help it. She looked down, cheeks slightly pink, before meeting his eyes again mischievously. "It's not as long as some of your men's hair, though. All the barbers in Corus run away?"

He grinned. "They did once they saw them." She laughed, and he turned to walk with her back to the group. He saw Neal watching them closely and waved, getting only a knowing grin and raised eyebrows in return. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As the day wore on, Dom found himself more and more nervous about telling Kel what Raoul had said. He was surprised how quickly he and his men settled into New Hope, and even more so at how happy he found himself here. He and Kel seemed to be rarely apart, with her always finding something new to show him or get his input on. He felt helpful, useful again, after all the useless parading in Corus. But he couldn't help but worry about what Kel would say. He didn't want to take her friendship with him and his men for granted and invite so many extra bodies to stay for such a long time. But the thought of seeing her, working with her every day...it made him deliriously happy.

He found Kel in the stables after dinner, feeding Hoshi. He waited quietly until she was done, then walked with her to a bench nearby. Almost immediately, she pounced on him. 

"Out with it. What's going on?"

He sighed, unsure of where to start. He felt like an idiot. Kel was the only woman who'd ever made him feel this tongue-tied. She giggled at his obvious struggles and he couldn't help but smile, embarrassed at feeling like a teenager again.

"I'm sorry!" she grinned. "It's just, I don't think I've ever seen you like this."

He let out a breath and let the words spill out. "Lord Raoul spoke to me the other day, before we left. He and the king had been talking about what to do with the different companies of the Own, how to better spread them out so everyone could be of use. Instead of all of us stuck in Corus unnecessarily." He made a face at the memories. "Raoul doesn't want to hand us off after he's married, either. He would like Flyndan to take over the main duties, but he still wants to be involved. So he suggested that...maybe...Third Company could stay at New Hope for some time." 

Kel's mouth form an "o" but she remained silent. He rushed on, trying to make his case. "We would help out with the work, of course, and I know some of the men want to help with training the young ones who want to learn. Plus, we'd be here in case, well, in case anything comes this way."

Dom took a breath, ready to continue, when he felt her hand on his shoulder and heard her laugh again. He looked at her uncertainly, hoping the laughter was a good sign.

"That is what you've been a wreck about all day?" Kel smiled at him widely. "How could you ever think I'd say no?"

It was music to his ears. Dom smiled, reaching up to take her hand in both of his, tracing her palm lightly. He couldn't believe his luck. "I guess...I'm not sure. I just didn't want to get my hopes up is all."

"Silly. You came to the wrong place for that, didn't you hear?"

Dom chuckled at that. But he had to make sure, one last time. "You're really okay with it, then?"

"I get to see you every day," Kel replied. Dom gazed at her, hearing the sincerity in her voice. He suppressed his smile as she quickly added, "All of you. I can't think of many things better than that."

He nodded in agreement, then pulled her to her feet. "I'll walk you back to your room. Don't need Toby yelling to all of the town that I've kidnapped their lady knight."

Kel huffed. "As if you could."

But she didn't let go of his hand all the way to her quarters.


End file.
